It's Never Too Early to Fail

"Intel" is a double-edged sword

"Don't worry, gents. HQ says we've finally got them trumped on this one. Three to one. Baker's way to hell and gone around that peak over there. Captain Hammer's Dog Company up on the ridge, Killemeyer's Charlie over along that gully there. That wouldn't have been my first choice, but I reckon he knows what he's doing." Captain Jeddings looked around at his lieutenants and smirked. "His fat ass is still alive, isn't he?"
He looked back out at the bleak terrain in front of him. Lt. Leech spoke next to him. "Makes you wonder what we're fighting for. Who want's this crappy pile of rocks?"Jeddings looked at him, frowning. He spoke very softly. "That's just war, Lieutenant! Don't you let the men hear you talk like that; that kind of talk is poison on the line. Now get it together, Loot!" Raising his voice, he spoke to the rest of his officers. "They say we've got em on the run, gentlemen. Let's prove it. That's all; go brief your men."

~~~~~~~~~
 

"Three to one my ass, Cap'n!"

Jeddings shouted to be heard over the battle sounds. "Well they were right about one thing: there can't be more than 200 North Koreans out there; the rest are fucking Chinese! Again!" He turned to one of five men around him, all of them manning radios. "Tell Killemeyer that if he doesn't shift left, he's finished! I can see em coming up his left flank from here!"

"Two-Hotel-Six, Two-Hotel-Six, this is Dodger. Advise Kilo shift two hundred west. Say again, shift..."

The radio traffic faded into the background as Jeddings looked around bitterly. He knew the truth about this nasty little battle, but he wasn't happy about it. It never mattered how many didn't die; any number was too many that did."Hotel Six has enemy—"
"Get ready boys," the captain said, cutting off the radio operator. He pulled out his .45 and held it casually between his knees. "Things are about to get really interesting."

He had barely stopped speaking when there was a loud commotion and firefight outside the CP; then a burly Chinese soldier burst in with his pistol drawn. Jeddings sat on the stack of ration boxes that made up his temporary desk without moving and read the insignia; it was a Chinese officer, a colonel. They sent the big guns this time, he thought ruefully.

The radiomen cowered on the ground. Their rifles leaden against the walls of the CP and might as well have been a million miles away.

The Colonel glowered at the men with contempt, then shifted his attention to Captain Jeddings."You are finished fighting, Captain Jeddings," the Chinese officer intoned in a deep voice. His English was very good, and Jeddings was impressed.
"You don't give the orders—"

"Fate gives the orders, Captain. Numbers give the orders. Your 'intelligence' corps reported one thousand Korean regular army. But to them, we do not exist. We are never counted. We are the ghosts the you fight and never know about. Your part of the war was lost before it was ever begun." He began drawing his pistol; Jeddings smiled grimly, but made no move."Assemble your troops for POW processing. Tell them to lay down their arms and—"

A sudden intense action just outside the CP drew the Colonel's attention. He spun with his own Chinese pistol at the ready; but he spun directly into a bayonet, viciously slicing him across the abdomen. He dropped the pistol and fell tot he ground.

Jeddings looked at the men outside the CP. "It's about damn time! Things were about to get hairy in here!" He looked down. "We never forget to count your men, Colonel!"

He picked up a radio handset and spoke briefly. "Six-Kilo-Eight, how many Mackine get? ... Roger; out." Then he dropped it back on the radio.

"We have a count now. The regiment knew you were out there, Colonel, exactly where and exactly how many. You got two thousand of my guys, Colonel. And god damn you for that, but that's war. But here's the 'numbers' for you, officer to officer: the Regiment is here, adn that means artillery and the whole shitaree. And we count at least fifteen thousand casualties, including killed in action, on your side of the battle." He paused, then finished. "Your intel about our intel was just...wrong, boss. We knew all along."

The Chinese officer groaned, but very quietly.Jeddings looked at the man, admiring his bearing and poise, even as he lay on the ground holding his guts in with one hand. Jeddings lowered his weapon. "You got to know how you can lose before you ever start to fight, Colonel. You have to know ahead of time, because once you start going wrong, it only gets wronger. And it starts long before the first card is dealt my friend." He smiled grimly again. "What you think you know ahead of time is never all there is to know. You were just late to the party, chief."
"...no...prisoner..." the Chinese colonel gasped. Jeddings nodded with understanding and respect. The man was going to die no matter what. He had shown dignity and strength. Officer to officer, Jeddings pointed his pistol at the man's head and mercifully pulled the trigger.

Without looking back, he left the CP and joined Colonel Mackine's men mopping up and processing the POWs.

Because that's war.